Strengthen your ankles and calves for beach running

OK, I may have been a bit hasty in my zeal to run on the beach during my vacation last week. I was so enthusiastic that I even wrote a Fitku about beach running. But the results weren't pretty.

Actually, I slightly exaggerate, because I wasn't all that sore, but I could tell my ankles and calves weren't used to the workout that they got from running on the sand. So I began wondering: Is there a way to prepare your calves and ankles for running in the sand?

Maybe the only answer is to run in the sand more often!

In the event you can do something to get those lower legs ready for beach running, here are some ankle exercises and some calf workouts from Shape Fit. Even if you aren't planning on running in sand, you'll look great in your capris!